Alabama enacts ban on outdoor burning over air quality

Published
10:33 am CDT, Saturday, May 23, 2020

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama is banning outdoor burning in a dozen of its 67 counties to protect air quality.

The order, which includes the state's most populated counties, covers areas that have a history of air pollution problems, according to an announcement from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

The ban includes Baldwin, DeKalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Lawrence, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Russell, Shelby and Talladega counties. It prohibits residents from burning yard debris, construction materials and other items that can contribute to air pollution through Oct. 31.

The order, which is issued annually, is separate from burn bans that the Alabama Forestry Commission imposes sometimes during dry weather to prevent wildfires.